The West Indies had a batting performance to forget as England secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match T20I series with a three-wicket win at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet on Thursday.

The hosts made a sub-par 145-8 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat. For the second match in a row, the West Indies quickly found themselves on the back foot with the wickets of Shai Hope (4), Evin Lewis (3), Nicholas Pooran (7), Roston Chase (7) and Shimron Hetmyer (2) leaving them 37-5 in the sixth over.

Captain Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd steadied the ship somewhat with a 73-run sixth wicket partnership before Shepherd fell for 30 at the start of the 16^th over.

Powell eventually made a top score of 54 odd 41 balls while Alzarri Joseph provided some valuable lower-order runs with 21*.

Saqib Mahmood continued his excellent form with the ball in the series with 3-17 from his four overs while Jamie Overton was also brilliant, taking 3-20 from his four.

England then reached 149-7 with four balls to spare to secure the win and a series victory.

Sam Curran led the way with 41 while Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks made 39 and 32, respectively.

Akeal Hosein bowled excellently despite the loss with 4-22 from his four overs.

The fourth T20I will take place at the same venue on Saturday.

The West Indies’ hopes of bouncing back against England were dashed on Sunday, as the visitors clinched a seven-wicket victory at Kensington Oval, putting them up 2-0 in the five-match T20I series. England’s chase of 159 was spearheaded by a scintillating 83 off 45 balls from captain Jos Buttler, who led his team to victory with more than five overs to spare.

Batting at No. 3, Buttler quickly found his rhythm after England lost Phil Salt on the first ball of the innings. Teaming up with Will Jacks, Buttler unleashed an array of boundaries, hammering eight fours and six sixes in his 26th fifty-plus T20I score. The pair built a commanding 129-run partnership off 72 balls, which all but sealed the game for England. Both Buttler and Jacks fell in the same over to Romario Shepherd, but by then, England were firmly in control, with Liam Livingstone striking four boundaries and a six in his 11-ball cameo to finish the match.

Earlier, West Indies struggled to build momentum after winning the toss and choosing to bat. Saqib Mahmood’s early strikes left the hosts reeling at 35-3 within the powerplay. Captain Rovman Powell fought back with a gritty 43 off 41 balls, finding occasional support from Nicholas Pooran, who added 15 in a sluggish 35-run partnership. However, West Indies’ batsmen struggled to handle England’s disciplined bowling, with Livingstone and Dan Mousley sharing four wickets between them.

Powell finally found his range, clearing the midwicket boundary with a powerful six off Livingstone. But just as he looked set to accelerate, he was undone by Mousley’s accurate yorker, which bowled him for 43, halting the Scorpions' scoring push in the 17th over.

Despite a late surge from the lower order, which included some quick runs from Gudakesh Motie, Shepherd, and debutant Terrance Hinds, West Indies managed only 158-8 from their 20 overs. Mahmood was England's standout bowler in the early overs, taking two crucial wickets, while Livingstone finished with 2-16, effectively stifling West Indies' momentum.

In the chase, West Indies needed early breakthroughs, and Akeal Hosein delivered by dismissing Salt with his first ball. However, Buttler’s attacking approach quickly dashed any hopes of a West Indies comeback. Jacks and Buttler accumulated runs rapidly, with Jacks striking boundaries off Matthew Forde and Hosein. Buttler then took charge in the powerplay’s final over, smashing three consecutive boundaries off Shepherd and reaching a 32-ball fifty by launching Roston Chase into the crowd.

With this win, England holds a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. West Indies will need to regroup and address their batting struggles if they are to stay competitive in the remaining matches. The teams will meet again for the third T20I, with West Indies hoping to turn things around and keep the series alive.

West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope has once again stressed the importance of executing efficiently in order to clinch the series decider against England in a crucial contest at the iconic Kensington Oval in Barbados on Wednesday.

Scheduled for a 1:00 pm start, the day-night match has stirred excitement among fans, with Hope rallying his side to draw from their recent performances and focus on building momentum for a strong finish in the three-match series.

The series is currently locked at 1-1 after the West Indies won the opening contest by eight wickets, before England topped the second by five wickets.

“It’s the biggest game of the series because we unfortunately conceded the last game, but this is a great occasion for us; we understand that we have a lot in front of us and we understand that we have to play good cricket to get over the England team,” Hope said in a pre-game interview.

Reflecting on the second ODI, where he led by example with a brilliant 117, Hope underscored the significance of consistency in both batting and bowling.

His century, along with half-centuries from Sherfane Rutherford (54) and Keacy Carty (71), were standout moments in a match that tested the resilience and skill of the West Indies lineup. However, the bowling department failed to deliver as England’s captain, Liam Livingstone, struck an unbeaten 124 to get his team across the line.

“I’ll continue to preach that we need consistency in order for us to consider ourselves an elite team. We have to string performances together; it can’t always be one game or two games in a series; we have to seal it,” Hope said.

“We have to play good cricket all the way through, and it is important that we understand the condition, the times of the game that we are supposed to be pressing and supposed to be relaxed. So, we have to be more consistent disciplined with our skills and make sure when we get to those crucial points of the game we press on,” he stressed.

That said, Hope believes that his team is mentally primed for the challenge.

“We are always mentally ready; I think that these most recent months we have been playing some really good cricket. We’ve had our ups and downs yes, but we can definitely see some improvements in the different stages in the game. For us, we have to ensure that we always have that positive mindset regardless of what we do in the field,” the Barbadian said.

“We have to believe in our skills both inside and outside to ensure we have all the capable assets to go out there and perform for the West Indies. But the feeling is always good; the guys are raring and ready to go; we understand what is at stake, and this is basically a final for us,” Hope added, emphasizing that while the rivalry adds an edge to the contest, they are not letting it overshadow their approach.

West Indies are currently 3-2 ahead in the head-to-head of the last five ODI meetings between the two teams dating back to December 2023.

“You have an understanding of the history, but the past is the past because you have to go out there and play what is in front of you. You have to stay in the present, but we know what we are playing for. We know the amount of history that there is in our rivalry, so it is something that we have in the back of our minds, but not something we let get the better of us,” Hope ended.

West Indies white-ball coach Darren Sammy was both encouraged and frustrated after his team’s five-wicket loss to England in the second ODI in North Sound, Antigua, on Saturday.

Despite a standout batting performance that saw West Indies post a formidable 328-6, Sammy believes missed opportunities in the bowling department ultimately handed England the edge. England chased down the total with relative ease, finishing on 329-5 with captain Liam Livingstone’s masterful unbeaten 124 leading the way.

“It is tough. Obviously, when you put 328 on the board, you expect to win. However, that is the beauty of international cricket; at the halfway stage, when one aspect of the job is done, you can never be complacent about it. Yes, Liam Livingstone played a brilliant innings to get his team home, but I thought as a bowling group our execution was really off, hence we lost a record chase here in Antigua,” Sammy said in a post-game interview.

While disappointed with the loss, Sammy found reasons for optimism, particularly in captain Shai Hope’s exceptional 117—his 17th ODI century—which was the highlight of the innings and pushed him to joint third on the all-time West Indies ODI century list.

Hope received ample support from Keacy Carty (71) and Sherfane Rutherford (54), whose solid contributions underscored the team’s depth in the middle order.

“I think we did some really good things; Shai Hope another 100, the joint fourth most by a West Indian, the way Keacy Carty batted, as well as Sherfane Rutherford making a fourth-consecutive 50. The way Matthew Forde bowled and the way Roston Chase came back after being put under pressure in the second over,” Sammy reasoned.

“So we were right in the game until the last 10 overs, where I think they scored 100 off seven overs; that is not good enough. But I think as a team, it is about understanding where we are at and the small steps that we have to take to improve,” he noted.

With Livingstone anchoring England’s chase alongside contributions from Phil Salt (59), Jacob Bethell (55), and Sam Curran (52), Sammy acknowledged that the West Indies bowling attack could have been more effective in applying pressure to seal the win after Hope’s brilliance.

“I think Shai will be the first one to tell you that it (his knock) doesn’t matter because it came off a losing cause. But, as I said before, Shai Hope is a class act and one of our icons in ODI cricket, but I know he would want nothing more than a win instead of a hundred.

“Again, it (the overall performance) shows that we are still far off but we are making little strides that will help us along our way with the goal that we have moving forward,” Sammy explained.

With the three-match series now tied 1-1, Sammy expressed hope that West Indies will bring their best game to the decider in Barbados on Wednesday.

“This is a rivalry, so we have all to play for at home. The last time we played in Barbados, we made history and won, so I am hoping we can again. It is two young teams looking to develop and get better in ODI cricket. Again, it is all to play for, so if the fans come out and support, in return, we have to give you guys something to smile about in Barbados,” Sammy ended.

England produced a brilliant batting performance to level their three-match ODI series against the West Indies at 1-1 with a five-wicket win in the second ODI at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday.

The tourists won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that didn’t look the best in batting-friendly conditions in North Sound.

The West Indians made excellent use of these conditions, putting themselves in a good position to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead with 328-6 off their 50 overs.

Captain Shai Hope led the way with 117, his first ODI century of 2024 and 17^th overall. His knock came off 127 deliveries and included eight fours and four sixes.

Keacy Carty and Sherfane Rutherford were the next highest scorers with 71 off 77 balls and 54 off 36 balls, respectively.

John Turner and Adil Rashid each took two wickets for England.

England stand-in captain Liam Livingstone then produced a magnificent effort to lift his side to victory and set up a deciding third ODI.

The all-rounder hit five fours and nine sixes on his way to 124* off just 85 balls, his maiden hundred in the format.

England also got 50+ scores from Barbados-born pair Phil Salt (59) and Jacob Bethell (55) as well as Sam Curran (52) as they needed only 47.3 overs to reach 329-5.

Matthew Forde took 3-48 from 8.3 overs for the West Indies.

Full Scores:

West Indies 328-6 off 50 overs (Shai Hope 117, Keacy Carty 71, Sherfane Rutherford 54, John Turner 2-42, Adil Rashid 2-62)

England 329-5 off 47.3 overs (Liam Livingstone 124*, Phil Salt 59, Jacob Bethell 55, Sam Curran 52, Matthew Forde 3-48)

The two teams will now turn their attention to the series-deciding third ODI in Bridgetown on Wednesday.

West Indies opened their three-match series against England with a powerful statement on Thursday, clinching an emphatic eight-wicket victory by the DLS method at North Sound in Antigua.

Led by a steady 118-run opening partnership between Evin Lewis and Brandon King, the Caribbean side got to their revised target of 157 with 55 balls to spare and secured a 1-0 advantage in the series.

Lewis had eight sixes and five fours in a blistering 94 off 69 balls, while King was more patient with 30 off 56, including three fours, as their partnership laid the platform for the successful chase after England, fielding four debutants, were bowled out for 209.

Scores: West Indies 157-2 (25.5 overs) (Lewis 94) beat England 209 (45.1 overs) (Livingstone 48, Motie 4-41) by eight wickets (DLS)

After being asked to take first strike, England found themselves struggling to build momentum as they lost openers Phil Salt (18) and Will Jacks (19) to seamer Jayden Seales. Matthew Forde then accounted for Jordan Cox (17) and Jacob Bethell (27) to leave the visitors at 93-4.

However, captain Liam Livingstone with a steady 48 from 49 balls and Sam Curran (37) breathed new life into the innings with a 72-run fifth-wicket stand that placed England back on course for a competitive total. Livingstone struck three fours and two sixes, but just when they started to gather momentum, he became the first of Gudakesh Motie’s four victims, offering an easy chance back to the Guyanese.

In fact, the left-arm spinner removed Dan Mousley (8), Jamie Overton (zero), and Curran in that order in quick succession before Alzarri Joseph got in on the act to collar Adil Rashid (15) and Jofra Archer (7) as they tried to move things along at the backend, but the damage was already done.

Motie, who used his spin to excellent effect, was once again the standout for the West Indies with figures of 4-41 from his full quota of 10 overs. Joseph (2-46), Jayden Seales (2-22), and Matthew Forde (2-48) offered support.

In response, the West Indies started their innings with confidence and aggression. Lewis, who was in formidable form from the last encounter of their Sri Lanka tour, peppered the boundary with a mix of crisp drives and powerful hits, while his opening partner, King, provided steady support, even as Jofra Archer and John Turner repeatedly harassed his outside edge.

The rain interruption did very little to slow the West Indies chase, though England did eventually find the breakthrough when King holed out to Will Jacks off Livingstone’s spin.

Still, Lewis pushed on and seemed well set to carry his bat through the innings before a rush of blood to get to the century saw him succumb to a long-hop from Adil Rashid that came off the toe end of the bat, and Jacob Bethell took an easy catch on the boundary.

Despite that, the chase was well and truly over, and captain Shai Hope and Keacy Carty, on 19, then took the West Indies over the finish line, finishing unbeaten on six and 19, respectively, to seal an easy victory. The comprehensive win showcased the Caribbean side’s intent and confidence, especially after a fairly dismal outing away to Sri Lanka, but it is left to be seen how they will fair for the remainder of the series with the second game scheduled for Saturday at the same venue.

Liam Livingstone said England must quickly "get up to speed" and find their rhythm in the 50-over game after a humbling defeat to West Indies.

Evin Lewis plundered a brilliant 94 off just 69 balls as the Windies won by eight wickets by the Duckworth-Lewis Stern method in the opening, rain-affected ODI in Antigua on Thursday.

England had been bowled out for just 209, with stand-in captain Livingstone top-scoring with 48.

The tourists fielded an inexperienced line-up, but Livingstone knows there is no time to waste when it comes to learning on the job.

He said: "I think the test we have to come over the next few games is with the rhythms of 50-over cricket.

"We have to get up to speed as quickly as possible. We know someone in the top six has to get a big score.

"Fifty overs is a long time. We wanted to put the West Indies under pressure. 

"Conditions change and it's up to us to read them and work out what is a good score. We didn't adapt. West Indies bowled well and we lost wickets at key stages."

Sam Curran (37) was the only other batter to make a dent for England, and Alastair Cook, who was only surpassed as the nation's all-time leading Test run scorer last month, was not impressed.

Speaking in his role as a pundit for TNT Sports, Cook said: "England's batting in general in all three formats on belting wickets – absolutely brilliant, you can't stop them scoring.

"[But] when it becomes tougher, when it becomes about adapting, I'm not sure, at the minute, this group of players are good enough.

"Take Joe Root out of it, he's a class above anyone else when it comes to adjusting to situations. Everyone else has to find a way of being able to adapt better."

West Indies have now won five of their last eight ODIs against England (L3).

England had won 17 of the previous 18 fixtures prior to that span.

Lewis' phenomenal showing with the bat, which included hitting eight sixes, was key to West Indies' victory, with Adil Rashid eventually ending the opener's stand, but it was too little, too late for England.

"Evin Lewis is experienced and has been around for a long time," said Windies captain Shai Hope.

"You can see he is a different beast. He's hungry. I'm glad about the scores he's getting now."

Gudakesh Motie, however, scooped the Player of the Match award after taking 4-41.

"I wasn't getting much turn out of the wicket so I was just trying to keep it on a straight line and keep my lengths," he said.

"Runs weren't coming at both ends easily, which helped me a lot to take four wickets.

"I figured out bowling fast in these conditions was easier [to play] so I was trying to bowl as slow as possible."

Jofra Archer (0-21) bowled well without reward. He is four wickets away from becoming the 30th player to take 50 wickets for England in men's ODIs.

Harry Brook has called for patience after his "inexperienced" England side suffered a 68-run defeat to Australia, who took a 2-0 lead in their ODI series.

The tourists were bowled out for 270, but England struggled to mount a real threat in the chase, with Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Brook, Ben Duckett and Liam Livingstone all taken inside the first 10 overs.

Though England attempted to make up for their early collapse, Mitchell Starc soon took care of the rest, with the hosts only managing 202.

And, after losing the first ODI in the series by seven wickets, Brook admitted that his side's inexperience played a part in Saturday’s defeat.

"We are a very young side. We are an inexperienced side playing against one of the best teams in the world and a new era and ilk of how we are trying to play the game," Brook said.

"It is about patience, and we are only two games in, we try and have a bit of fun as well.

"There are so many positives we can take for these two games. We have done everything we have said we were going to do.

"I think we bowled really nicely. To restrict them to 270 on that pitch, I thought we did a good job there, but we lost early wickets in the Powerplay that killed us really.

"It just hasn't gone our way."

The third match of the ODI series will take place at the Riverside Ground on Tuesday. 

Travis Head led the way for Australia, setting them on their way to a comfortable 28-run victory over England in their first of three T20Is on Wednesday.

England had salvaged some pride during Australia's late collapse, only to fumble their chance with the bat as they failed to reach their target of 180.

Australia got off to a flying start, with Head hitting 59 off 23 balls, including 30 off Sam Curran in a single over with three fours and three sixes.

Liam Livingstone helped to slow the tide with 3-22, including taking opener Matt Short (41), before the tourists collapsed, losing their last five wickets for 14 runs, with Jofra Archer taking two in two (2-31), to finish 179 all out.

The hosts just could not get going though, as Phil Salt was caught for 20 before Curran (18) and Livingstone (37) both departed in the space of four deliveries to stunt any England progress.

Jordan Cox (17), one of three debutants, had already been dismissed, thanks to Tim David's stunning catch at full stretch, before the lower order slumped to 151 in the final over. 

The second T20I takes place on Friday in Cardiff, where England will attempt to force a decider for the final contest on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Unhappy homecoming

Australia have won back-to-back T20Is against England for the first time since February 2018, but the hosts would have expected much better when they saw the target set for them.

Instead, they failed to win a third consecutive T20 match at The Rose Bowl, their longest outright losing streak at the venue in the history of the format.

England captain Jos Buttler believes his side lost their match against South Africa in the powerplay after losing by seven runs in the Super 8s.

South Africa registered their second-most productive powerplay in the tournament so far, with Quinton de Kock proving invaluable with 49 runs during that time.

In England's powerplay, they managed to get just 41 runs, their lowest such tally of the year, and though they pushed late on, they came up just short in the chase.

Buttler admitted that in hindsight, it was South Africa's start that cost England in the end, despite giving themselves a reachable target.

"I'd say it was lost in the powerplay," Buttler said. "Quinton de Kock came out and played with really good intent, and we couldn't really match that. I think we were about 20 behind them at the end of our first six.

"The wicket did slow up, which allowed us to pull it back in the middle, and we were happy to be chasing 160. But yeah, that innings was the difference.

"It's still a good pitch but a little slower than we probably expected. I'm proud of how we responded with the ball after their good powerplay, and Brook and Livingstone had an excellent partnership there to take us so close.

"At one stage, we were favourites but T20 cricket is never that simple, and credit to South Africa for closing it out.

"We know we're still in it. We played well today; we just didn't quite get over the line."

De Kock, who finished on 65, was named Player of the Match for his impressive turn – he equalled the fastest half-century of the tournament (22 balls, level with USA's Aaron Jones), and broke his own record for the most runs in a powerplay by a South Africa batter at a men's T20 World Cup.

South Africa remain unbeaten in the tournament so far and have put themselves in a good position to qualify for the semi-finals, and De Kock was pleased with how they got the win on Friday.

"My plan was to just bat as long as I can and score as many runs I can," De Kock said. "That was pretty much it. I don't really carry or lose confidence; I just get on with my game. So that is what I focused on.

"I thought we bowled really well, especially in the powerplay. We controlled it really nicely. Overall, we were pretty solid and to defend on 160 on a decent pitch is a good effort."

South Africa made it two wins from two in the T20 World Cup Super 8s with a seven-run victory over England on Friday, edging them closer to the final four.

Quinton de Kock starred for the Proteas, but it was Anrich Nortje who ensured England could not win thanks to his bowling in the final over.

South Africa got off to the perfect start, registering their second-most productive powerplay in the tournament so far, without losing a wicket.

De Kock hit his half-century off 22 balls, eventually finishing with 65. However, they soon slipped away as England rallied.

Despite an early over costing him 21 runs, Archer finished strongly on 3-40, helped by some superb catching from Jos Buttler as England eventually limited them to 163-6.

However, England could not keep that momentum going when they stepped up to bat, getting just 41 runs in their own powerplay – their lowest tally this year.

It was not until the introduction of Harry Brook (53) and Liam Livingstone (33) that they found their groove, but when the former got caught in the in the final over, Sam Curran and Jofra Archer could not get the 14 runs they needed from the final five balls, finishing just short on 156-6.

Data Debrief: Records aplenty for De Kock

De Kock has scored back-to-back fifties at the T20 World Cup, but his tally today equalled the fastest half-century of the tournament (USA's Aaron Jones also got 50 off 22 balls).

His 49 runs in the powerplay is the most by a South Africa batter at a men's T20 World Cup, beating his own previous record of 46 against England in 2016.

England eased to a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their final T20I at The Oval on Thursday to win the series 2-0.

England won the toss and decided to bowl first, and it almost looked to be the wrong choice as Pakistan raced to 59-0 within the first six overs.

However, Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer quickly bowled Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam to turn the tide as Pakistan suddenly collapsed.

England's bowlers turned on the style as Liam Livingstone got a double wicket maiden (2-17), with Rashid (2-27) and Mark Wood (2-35) also doing their part to limit Pakistan to 157 all out in the final over.

England comfortably chased down 158, with Phil Salt (45) and captain Joss Buttler (39) getting them off to a strong start as the openers.

Will Jacks added a further 20 before Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook, who finished the game off with a final six, saw England to 158-3 with 27 balls remaining.

After two washouts disrupted the series in Leeds and Cardiff, England got a confidence-boosting victory ahead of their World Cup title defence, which will begin against Scotland in Barbados on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will play the United States in their World Cup Opener on Thursday. 

Data Debrief: Buttler breaks records

Buttler has broken the record for playing the most T20Is (116) for England, surpassing Eoin Morgan.

Though he did not quite reach the heights of England's win at Edgbaston, his knock saw him hit seven fours and one six on their way to a comfortable victory. 

England were left in a spin as their hopes of recording a T20 series victory over the West Indies were undermined by slow left-armers Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein.

Two days on from recording their highest ever T20 score, England came up against a more disciplined bowling performance by their opponents on the same pitch at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.

Motie was the pick of the attack with three for 24, which included a peach of a delivery to bowl England dangerman Phil Salt, who followed up his back-to-back hundreds with 38 off 22 balls.

Salt was undone by drift then sharp turn as he lost his middle stump, although he was still England’s top-scorer for a third game in a row as they were all out for 132 in 19.3 overs in this series decider.

Five of England’s top-six departed to spin, with Hosein claiming two for 20, on a pitch that provided some help. Liam Livingstone (28) and Moeen Ali (23) put on a stodgy 40 for the tourists in the middle.

Where they had clubbed 20 sixes in their 267 for three on Tuesday, England amassed just five this time.

It was a particularly shabby end to their innings as they lost their last five wickets in 19 balls for the addition of just 11 runs, with all-rounder Andre Russell taking two dismissals in two balls.

England could not even bat out their overs as Sam Curran, one of only five batters to pass double figures, clothed Jason Holder to long-off to depart for 12.

Phil Salt was taken aback at being overlooked in the Indian Premier League auction but used the snub as motivation to inspire England to a T20 series-levelling victory over the West Indies.

While England team-mates Chris Woakes and Harry Brook saw their bank balances given a healthy top-up after going under the hammer in Dubai on Tuesday, there were no takers for Salt among IPL franchises.

Salt made a couple of fifties in his debut season earlier this year, striking at 163.91 in nine matches for Delhi Capitals, so he was aggrieved to wake up in the Caribbean and find he had attracted no bids.

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But three days on from a match-winning century in Grenada, Salt thumped an England T20 record 119 off 57 balls in Trinidad as the tourists set up a winner-takes-all showdown at the same venue on Thursday.

“It was a confusing morning,” Salt said after England’s 75-run thumping win in the fourth T20. “I expected to be picked up, having gone there last year and done well and after the year that I’ve had.

“I was a bit confused but it can happen. It’s part of a lottery of an auction, it happens in draft processes as well. There’s no bad cricketers on the list at the IPL.

“There’s a few lads in our dressing room who are going to have a very good Christmas and I’m over the moon for them.

“We’re very lucky with what we do. There have been a few things recently that have maybe put it in perspective. I’m just here enjoying my cricket and cracking on.”

As for whether he channelled his frustration at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba to underpin England’s highest ever T20 total of 267 for three, Salt admitted his IPL omission may have played its part.

“It was probably a little bit of it, subconsciously,” he said, before reiterating: “I’m very aware of how lucky I am to be here playing cricket.”

The foundations for England’s gargantuan total were laid by a second successive century partnership between Salt and Jos Buttler, who contributed 55 to a 117-run stand in 9.5 overs before holing out.

Liam Livingstone thumped the last of England’s 20 sixes – equalling their record in T20s – with half of them coming from Salt, who is the first man from the country to make more than one ton in the format.

Salt opens the batting for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast and for Manchester Originals in The Hundred alongside England captain Buttler, who apparently keeps his junior partner in check.

“When we’re in the middle, it’s more getting me back in my box,” Salt said. “It’s either ‘you’re doing really well’ or ‘drop it down a gear’.

“We’ve had some good conversations away from the game, we’ve enjoyed spending time around each other as a group so we’re going nicely.”

The Windies were left with not much choice but to hit the ground running from ball one and while they themselves collected 14 sixes of their own, they were all out for 192 in 15.3 overs.

Reece Topley claimed three for 37 while there were a couple of wickets apiece for Sam Curran and Rehan Ahmed and one each for Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid as England levelled the series at 2-2.

“The boys have really pulled together and shown what a good team we are,” Salt added. “To win back-to-back games and force the decider in a couple of days’ time, I’m chuffed.”

Phil Salt followed up his match-winning century in Grenada with a record-breaking hundred in Trinidad as England amassed their highest-ever T20 score, putting the West Indies to the sword.

Having been overlooked at the Indian Premier League auction on Tuesday, Salt smashed 10 sixes and seven fours in his 119 off 57 balls at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba in England’s 267 for three.

Salt’s belligerent knock is the highest by an England batter – beating the previous record held by Alex Hales on 116 – as the tourists took a giant stride towards levelling the five-match series at 2-2.

England’s previous best score in this format was the 241 for three they posted against New Zealand in Napier in November 2019 but Jos Buttler’s side blew that total out of the water.

Buttler registered 55 off 29 balls, putting on 117 in 9.5 overs with Salt, while Liam Livingstone added an unbeaten 54 off 21 deliveries as England racked up the fifth highest score in this format.

Four days on from his 109 not out at the weekend which helped England keep the series alive, Salt transferred his form to another Caribbean island, bringing up back-to-back tons off 48 balls.

There was no respite for the Windies on a hot and sticky afternoon, with T20 debutant Matthew Forde leaking 54 from three overs and Jason Holder and Gudakesh Motie each conceding 55 from four overs.

Akeal Hosein was the pick of the attack with one for 36 from his allocation but the hosts have been left it all to do to stop the series from going to a decider – no team has chased down more than 259.